


Blame

by onceandfuturewarlock



Series: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic [14]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, fun fact Arthur and Merlin are actually physically incapable of acting like adults
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21730165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceandfuturewarlock/pseuds/onceandfuturewarlock
Summary: "I'm not going to say I told you so," Merlin says, which is always just what he says right before he says— "but I told you so."
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1319066
Comments: 27
Kudos: 643





	Blame

"I'm _not_ going to say I told you so," Merlin says, which is always just what he says _right_ before he says— "but I told you so."

"Oh, _shut up_ , Merlin," Arthur hisses, half under his breath, and he squirms, a bit, in the coarse, too-tight ropes lashed around his wrists. If the idiot would just stop with all that, all the moaning and whining and carping on, if he would just make himself useful, for once in his life, if he would just _cut the damn ropes already_ with a bit of that magic he's always so eager to show off, he could get them out of here, out of this bandit camp and back on the path to Camelot, but oh, no, he can't do anything without a nice long whinge about it first—

"—didn't I? Didn't I tell you? Didn't I say, Arthur, this is a very bad idea, we should just go the long way 'round, nothing good ever happens in the Valley of the Fallen Kings—"

"Shut up, Merlin!" Arthur snaps, a little bit louder, this time, but the bandits, hunched 'round the fire in the middle of the camp, don't hear him, don't even turn to look at him. "Yes, yes, I know, you hate the Valley of the Fallen Kings, you need Gaius to tuck you in with your comfort blanket every time I even _mention_ it—"

Merlin turns red to the tips of his ears. " _I do not need_ —!"

"— _I get it_ , all right?" Arthur scowls. "Now, for God's sake, just get us _out_ of here! What the hell are you _waiting_ for?"

Merlin goes quiet. It looks like he really has to think about it—and it must take a very long time, too, because this is likely the very first thought to finally trundle its long and lonely way through the idiot's empty head. "Well," he says, at last, "an apology would be nice."

"An _apology_?" Arthur sputters. No. Absolutely not. _He did not hear that right_ , not a chance, not _at all_. It's Merlin's fault! This is all Merlin's fault! As usual! It had _nothing_ to do with that little shortcut through the Valley of the Fallen Kings! The idiot's just scared of his own shadow! "For _what_?!"

"Reckless endangerment of innocent servants."

Arthur splutters. A little bit. Maybe. _"Innocent?!"_

"Also," Merlin says, "reckless ignoring of innocent servants. I want an apology for _that_ , too. With groveling."

"Cut the damn ropes, Merlin."

"Yes, Sire."

**Author's Note:**

> this is literally so ridiculous. in all fairness, though, this was actually meant to be the intro to a much longer piece, but after I worked with it for a few days, I realized this actually isn't going to work with the longer plot, but I liked this exchange so much, I decided to turn it into its own piece. It's a bit short, so I'll try and make the next update a bit longer to make up for it! ~


End file.
